We at All Buttoned Up would like to educate people about alternative culture. In our dictionary you can find a lot of common used words in the 2-tone, ska, punk, skinhead and metal communities. Important to know is that we are constantly updating and refining our definitions and it’s very hard to determine a 100% objective description of definitions frequently used in (sub)cultures. Let’s all work together to create the most accurate rude dictionary available!
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1312: representing the position of the letters in the English alphabet meaning All Cops Are Bastards, an acronym used as a political slogan associated with dissidents who are opposed to the police.
28: shorthand for Blood and Honour, a skinhead group.
38: confederate Hammerskins, the southern faction of Hammerskin Nation.
A
Airtex: lightweight, breathable shirts popular among Skinheads, known for bold colours and patterns. Worn with top buttons undone, they represent the sharp, casual style characteristic of the skinhead subculture.
A.C.A.B: All Cops Are Bastards is an acronym used as a political slogan associated with dissidents who are opposed to the police.
Alpha Industries: American brand known for military-style outerwear, especially bomber jackets, favored by skinheads for their rugged, utilitarian designs and urban appeal.
Amy Winehouse: influential British singer-songwriter known for her soulful voice and retro style. While not directly part of Skinhead or Punk culture, her fashion and emotional themes resonated with the rebellious spirit of these movements, making her an iconic figure in contemporary music.
ANTIFA: a decentralized political movement primarily composed of leftist activists who oppose fascism and far-right ideologies through direct action and protest.
Arnold Palmer: make of shirt. Load checks in unusual combinations, but not all buttondowns.
Astronauts: once popular make of eleven hole boot, so called because the Air Wair Sole was like walking on the moon. That’s what is say hereanyway.
B
Ben Sherman: British clothing brand selling shirts, sweaters, suits, outerwear, shoes and accessories predominantly for men. Ben Sherman designs sometimes feature the Royal Air Force roundel which is often called the mod target. In its beginnings in the 1960s, the company made its mark with fashionable short sleeved, button-down collared shirts.
Black laces: bootlace color identifying a skinhead as straight-edge
Blazers: a coloured jacket. Standard blazers with silver buttons were a suedehead favourite. Often in football team colours with a club patch sewn on the breast pocket.
Blooding: the act of stamping on your new boots to make them dirty. Also called Christening.
Bomber jacket: a jacket, often made of leather with ribbed trim, resembling those worn by World War II bomber crews.
Boot Byrd: a Skinhead girl who loves to wear boots
Boots: Skinhead boots originally studded army boots with steel toe caps, NBC boots, monkey boots or anything else that skinheads could get their hands on, but eventually Dr. Martens became most popular among skinheads, not leas because steelies were classed as an offensive weapon. Cherry red and black were most popular although black boots lost their appeal for some when black Dr. Martens became standard issue for plods. Other boots came in brown or tan.
Bovver: British slang for troublemaking or rowdiness by street gang youths.
Bovver boots: type of heavy-duty footwear characterized by their high ankle and rugged design, originally associated with the British skinhead and punk subcultures, symbolizing a rebellious spirit and working-class roots.
Bowler hat: suedehead and clock orange headwear.
Braces: meant to hold your trousers up, but usally worn for style. Certainly not worn for comfort because they do you balls in most of the time. Sometimes worn over a thin pullover or tanktop. Wider originally than the quarter inch common today with, half inch, 1″ and even 2″ being sported. They were also worn over the shoulder and not around your bum until Punk came along.
Brogues: lace up shoe with holes punched over the toe and down the sides to form a pattern. Black, brown or burgundy in colour. Steel toe caps were an optional extra. In the States they are commonly known as Cordivans and were worn by the FBI. Also available as a very smart boot.
Brutus: make of shirt, including the best tartan ones available. Brutus Gold were excellent button down checks. Also a make of jeans, but never really pipulair in Skinhead circles.
Blue laces: bootlace color identifying a skinhead as hating cops or a cop killer.
Bonehead: a stupid or foolish person
Boot party: beating a victim to the ground then stomping and kicking him or her with steel-toed boots
Braces: suspenders.
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Cardigan: a piece of clothing, usually made from wool, that covers the upper part of the body and the arms, fastening at the front with buttons, and usually worn over other clothes. Fred Perry makes them so they must be okay. Chunky ones with pockets look best, but remember to leave bottom botton undone.
Chav: a young person in Britain of a type stereotypically known for engaging in aggressively loutish behavior especially when in groups and for wearing flashy jewelry and athletic casual clothing (such as tracksuits and baseball caps)
Chelsea: shaving or cutting short the crown and back of the head but leaving a fringe and sometimes hair on the sides of the head around the ears. A very common and known hair style in the Punk and Skinhead-community.
Clobber: British slang an identical word principally had to do with clothing, as in clobber clothes,” “to dress smartly;” clobber up “to patch old clothes for reuse, conceal defects”
Crew: Skinhead gang or faction.
Combats: army camouflaged jackets and trousers were worn by original skins, but are now mainly the preserver of Boneheads. Shame.
Combs: not much use when you’ve got a crop. Still, in ’69, hair that was long enough to be combed did pass for Skinhead fashion. Steel combs were all the rage anyway, not least because a sharpened one makes a handy tool. Carried in your back pocket so all your mates knew you had one.
Corduroy: jackets and trousers made by Levi’s. Lee and Wrangler were quite popular at the start of the Seventies.
Coronation Day: day on which a monarch is formally crowned and invested with royal powers. It is a ceremonial occasion marking the beginning of a reign, often involving religious rites and public celebrations. For Rastafarians, Coronation Day holds special significance as they celebrate the crowning of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia in 1930, viewing it as a pivotal moment in their faith.
Cravats: ties only worn at weddings, funerals and then made to at school.
Crombie: s topcoat in its many forms was first produced in the 1860s at Cothal Mills in Aberdeen by J&J Crombie, it is still produced to this day although it is no longer a family firm & not now in Yorkshire. The Crombie can safely be called an Icon having been worn by Tsars, Kings, Film Stars, Prime Ministers & Presidents.
Crucified Skinhead: because of the way Skineads look, the music they listen to, the way they dress, their ethics. Skins feel they’re all ‘crucified’. Judged by society. Held to account for things that aren’t their doing. Every skinhead is crucified by the media, the public, the world at large.Commie: derogatory slang for communist. You shouldn’t call someone a commie unless you want to start a fight.
Colors: marks identifying affiliation; can be tattoos, patches on jackets, etc.
Commie: derogatory slang for communist. You shouldn’t call someone a commie unless you want to start a fight. A commie is a communist, a person who favors the eventual creation of a classless society in which goods are equally shared between all citizens.
Curbing, curb job: Breaking a victim’s jaw or neck by forcing his or her face against a street curb and kicking the back the of the victim’s head; popularized in the 1998 cult movie, “American History X.”
D
Donkey Jacket: this jacket was designed by George Key in 1888 based on the Sack Coat, with outdoor manual labour in mind, specifically for navvies working on the Manchester Ship Canal which would require a tough materialed jacket to be worn in all weather conditions that the Northern climate can throw at you, cold, wet & windy.
Dr. Martens (a.k.a. Doc Martens): Brand of durable boots popular with skinheads as well as young people in all walks of life, though skins lace the boots differently (see “straight-laced”) and wear either red or white laces.
E
Earrings: blokes started having one ear piecred in the earlie Seventies, then both. Girls had anythung up to eight around each ear. Well before Punk, some Sunderland Skins wore small rings in their noses.
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Falmers: make of baggy jeans, popular with smooties.
Feather cut: a style of cutting women’s and girls’ hair in short tapered lengths that shape into small curls with a feathery effect at the tips.
Fence walkers: term used to describe individuals who navigate between different subcultures, particularly within the skinhead scene, often embodying a blend of styles and attitudes from various groups while avoiding strict allegiance to any single one.
Fishnet stockings: what every Skinhead bloke’s dreams are made of. Other tights and stockings worn, including patterned ones, but obviously not as popular or as sexy. Ankle socks, usually white, are worn over them with shoes.
Five words: “I have nothing to say.” Skinheads are exhorted to give this standard response to any and all media and law enforcement inquiries.
Flat cap: a must for every Skinhead whippet owner and Andy Capp fan.
Flight/Flying jacket: also called a flighty, it mus be the most popular jacket on sale today.
Fred Perry: a piece of British subcultural uniform, adopted by various groups of people who recognize their own values in what it stands for. In the mid sixties they were a popular choice with the British Mod movement as they were distictly “British”. With the Skinhead cult hot on it’s heels, the look was easily adopted and has remain popular ever since.
Fresh cut: A newly indoctrinated skinhead whose head has recently been shaved for the first time.
G
Gloves: it used to be pretty fashionable to wear fingless gloves. Apart from that, the neartest the Skinhead cult gets to them is the boxing ring.
Greens: army trousers made of green durable material. Cheap and hard wearing.
Gripfast: British boot manufacturer renowned for its durable, military-style footwear, especially favored by skinheads for its sturdy construction and distinctive design, often associated with the subculture’s rugged and rebellious fashion.
H
Handkerchiefs: nice touch to finish off a suit jacket or Crombie breast pocket. Silk is best. Folded in a variety of ways and held in place by a pocket stud, which often boasts a football team crest.
Harrington: a lightweight jacket, named after Rodney Harrington, a character on TV’s Peyton Place, who was always wearing them. Zip up front and button up collar in a range of colors including black, blue, red, gray and bone and always have a tartan lining.
Harry Fenton: well-known tailor in the Sixties who made a decent button down shirt. Again tartan a speciality.
Homey sock: Pool ball in a sock wrapped in tape so it doesn’t split open when used as a weapon.
Hoxton shirts: Style of button-up shirts characterized by their bold colors and patterns, often associated with the skinhead subculture, reflecting a blend of working-class roots and a distinct fashion statement.
Featherwood: Female skinhead.
Five words: “I have nothing to say.” Skinheads are exhorted to give this standard response to any and all media and law enforcement inquiries.
Hammerskins: A nationwide skinhead syndicate, also known as Hammerskin Nation, with regional factions and chapters that once dominated skin subculture nationwide.
HSN: Hammerskin Nation.
HFFH: “Hammerskin Forever Forever Hammerskin.”
Hang-around: A young person who associates with skinheads but is not yet a probate, akin to a gangbanger “wannabe.”
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Identity bracelets: popular item of jewellery during the original Skinhead period, but worn by everyone really.
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Jaytex: a make of shirts, noted for it’s superb checked button downs.
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Knobhead: British vulgar slang for a stupid or contemptible person.
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Laces: the colour of boot laces causes more arguments than a blind referee. The problem is that different colours mean different things in different areas. 📹 See our All Buttoned Up Short-video about lace colours.
Lacoste: a French company, founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste. The company can be recognized by its green alligator logo. René’s poloshirt had short sleeves and was made of Petit Piqué, a finely honeycombed fabric that enables air to circulate freely. Breathable and lightweight, this fabric ensures comfort, ease of movement and elegance. 📹 See our All Buttoned Up Short-video about Lacoste.
Lambswool jumpers: very smart and very comfortable.
Lee: make of jeans, specially popular in the north (of the U.K.) before Levi’s became widely available.
Levi’s: make of jeans. The Levi’s that were worn were always ‘Red Tags’, 501’s or 505’s usually with a small stitched in turn-up. The turn-up could be anything from a quarter of an inch to an inch. Some skinheads wore their jeans with an inverted turnup, but this is not very popular these days. The length of jeans can vary, but is usually short enough to show a bit of boot and/or sock. If wearing shoes then usually white socks are worn, but I know many skinheads who prefer to wear red, or Argyle patterned.
Lonsdale: make of brand. Originally a manufacturer of boxing equipment and was popular mainly for it’s T-shirts and Sweatshirts but more recently the company has branched out into all sorts of street and casual wear including, hoodies, spray jackets and even their own range of Harrington style jackets. They still continue to make sports equipment but no longer is the label only associated with the noble arts.
Loafer: a type of leather shoe without a fastening, that a person’s foot slides into
M
MAC: smart raincoat, a throwback to the mod days. More a Suede thing, and never really popular. Now the preserve of dirty old men.
Moccasins: once popular footwear, even as late as ’79 and ’80, but now rarely seen. Probably because all your mums have a fluffy pair as slippers.
Mohair: expensive material made from Angoran wool. Perfect for suits if you can pick up the bill.
Monkey boots: ankle boots with the word ‘monkey’ writen on the sole’s tred. Popular with kids and girls because they are widely available in small sizes.
Motown: style of soul music from Detroit, USA, developed in the 1960s, known for its catchy melodies, smooth vocals, and rhythmic beats. Notable artists include The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye.
Moonstomp: a simple dance derived from earlier styles of reggae to associate with offbeat genres such as ska and dub
Mod: a subculture that began in 1950s London and spread throughout Great Britain, eventually influencing fashions and trends in other countries. It continues today on a smaller scale. Focused on music and fashion, the subculture has its roots in a small group of stylish London-based young men and women in the late 1950s who were termed modernists because they listened to modern jazz.
Moshpit: an area in front of a stage where very physical and rough dancing takes place at a concert
N
Northern Soul: music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British mod scene, based on a particular style of Black American soul music with a heavy beat and fast tempo (100 bpm and above).
Norwegians: basketweave style of shoe popular with smooties.
O
OI! (music genre): a subgenre of punk rock, originated in the late 1970s in England. The Oi! movement was a reaction to the Punk scene, and reviving a new wave of Skinheads. Oi! blended the sounds of The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Clash, and The Jam with the influence of 1960s British rock bands like Small Faces and The Who, including football chants, drinking songs, folk music, and Glam rock bands such as Sweet and Slade.
Oxfords: usually plain leather shoe with square toe.
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Permanent Press: make of shirt. Excellent button downs for girls. Also made trousers that never needed to see an iron.
Polish: proper little spit and polish merchants are Skinheads.
Pork Pie Hat: narrow brimmed trilby hat borrowed from the Rude Boy Look.
Probate: A “member in waiting” who is on probation for a set amount of time before he or she becomes a full-fledged member of a skinhead crew.
Proud Boys: an exclusively male North American far-right, neo-fascist militant organization that promotes and engages in political violence. In 2020 the organization adopted the black-yellow Fred Perry polo as their uniform. Later that year Fred Perry stopped the sales of the iconic poloshirt.
Psychobilly: (music genre) basically punk, without all the political stuff.
Punk (music genre): a music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often shouted political, anti-establishment lyrics.
Purple laces: a relatively new addition of bootlace color standing for gay pride.
Q
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R
RAHOWA: Short for “Racial Holy War,” a slogan that originally came out of the neo-Nazi Church of the Creator; also the name of a defunct band.
Rastafari: religious and social movement that originated in Jamaica in the 1930s, centred around the belief in the divinity of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. It promotes Afrocentric identity, spiritual freedom, and respect for nature, with key symbols like dreadlocks and the colours red, green, and gold.
Red laces: Bootlace color indicating the wearer has shed blood for the skinhead movement. Racist skinheads will often randomly attack non-whites to “earn” their red laces.
Reggae: genre of popular music originating in Jamaica in the late 1960s, characterized by a rhythmic style featuring offbeat accents, syncopated rhythms, and socially conscious lyrics often focused on themes of peace, love, and resistance. It incorporates elements of ska, rocksteady, and African rhythms. Prominent artists include Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.
Relco: British clothing brand famous for its mod and skinhead-inspired fashion, particularly its classic button-up shirts and tailored trousers, embodying a blend of retro style and subcultural identity.
Rhythm and Blues: genre of popular music that originated in the United States in the 1940s, blending jazz, gospel, and blues. Characterised by strong rhythms, soulful vocals, and a focus on emotional expression, R&B evolved over the decades, influencing soul, funk, and contemporary pop music.
Royals: Faith Royal were the company who pioneered the brogue style, hence the shoe is often named after it.
Rude: term for people in the skinhead subculture known for their sharp style and confident attitude, often linked to working-class roots and reggae and ska music.
Rudeboy: term originating in Jamaican youth culture, referring to a rebellious, street-smart individual, often associated with ska, rocksteady, and reggae music. The term later influenced British and global subcultures, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, representing defiance and style.
Rudegirl: term referring to a strong, independent woman, often associated with the Jamaican rudeboy culture. Known for her confidence, style, and defiance, a rudegirl embraces a bold attitude, often linked to ska, reggae, and street fashion.
White laces: Bootlace color identifying a skinhead as being “white power,” as opposed to a non-racist (“traditional”) or anti-racist skin.
S
Scarf: a must for the winter unless ou happen to live in Hawaii (and before you ask, plenty of Skins do live there). Football ones are definitely most popular, with Gillingam F.C. ones being most prized. Also paisley patterns.
SFFS: Skinhead Forever Forever Skinhead. Slogan or phrase expressing unwavering loyalty and identity associated with the Skinhead subculture, which originated in the 1960s in the UK.
SHARP: Short for Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice, commonly known as SHARP skins, who often battle racist skins.
Shaver: an electric shaver, also called barber’s clippers, are widely available and pay for themselves after a dozen haircuts.
Sheepskin: coat worn by wide boys and football managers the world over, not to mention thousands of Skins. Expensive, but worth every penny.
Shirts: American style button down shirts easlity the most popular. Always worn with top button undone and long sleeves rolled up once or twice. Freds usually worn with al buttons down up.
Ska: a Jamaican music genre that emerged in the late 1950s, featuring upbeat tempos, offbeat rhythms, and horns. It blends Caribbean mento and calypso with jazz and R&B, paving the way for reggae. Notable bands include The Specials and Madness.
Skinbyrd: Female version of the term Skinhead.
Skingirl: a smart-looking girl with style that belongs to the great Skinhead culture.
Skinhead: youth subculture that emerged in the UK in the 1960s, characterised by a distinctive fashion of shaved heads, boots, and braces. Initially associated with working-class pride, it blended Jamaican reggae and ska with British mod style, promoting unity, hard work, and a love of music.
Skull Caps: woolen hats to keep your head warm.
Smoothie: there are different definition of ‘Smoothie’, in Royton it was a term used for a smart dresser who had all the most up to date clothes in the skinhead style, but whose hair was longer. The hair would most likely be collar length but shorter on top with a short fringe. Classic exponents of the smoothie look were Sean O’Niel and Terry Cocking.
Sta-Prest: trouwers that never needed ironed, and very smart too.
Steelies: steel toe-capped boots were very populair because of their aggro potential.
Stone Island: high-end Italian brand mainly popular in football culture, especially in its later waves. Known for its compass patch logo, durable materials, and military-inspired designs, it became an emblem of style, toughness, and identity among skinheads and British subcultures in the 1980s and beyond.
Socks: plain white sports socks are universally popular. Red is a long way behind in second place.
Solovair: British footwear brand known for its high-quality, handcrafted boots, particularly popular among Skinheads for their durable construction and classic styles that reflect a blend of punk and working-class aesthetics.
Spider web tattoo: Racist skinhead “badge of honor,” often worn on the elbow, indicating wearer has committed murder or a crime, sometimes for the skinhead movement.
Straight-laced: A complex boot-lacing system favored by racist skins who lace their boots in horizontal, straight lines rather than X or cross patterns.
Suedehead: member of a UK youth subculture from the late 1960s and 1970s, characterized by wearing suede or leather jackets and sporting short hairstyles. They were associated with reggae and ska music and are seen as a precursor to the skinhead movement.
Suits: three and four buttons, narrow lapel, and either a middle or back went or two side vents are standard features of skinhead suits. Ticker pockets are another nice touch. Buttons on the sleeve were another measure of style with three being minimum.
T
Tank Top: sleeveless jumper popular in the early 70’s. Usually patterned, sometimes in really bad taste. Braces were sometimes worn over them.
Tonic/Tonik: Two-tone material that changes colour in the light. Very smart suit material.
Torie/Tories: a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Great Britain or Canada.
Trads: abbreviation of traditional skinheads.
Trevira: make of cloth similar to Mohair, but less expensive. Again, popular for making suits.
Trim Fit: Brutus shirt, especially popular with lasses. No use for beer bellies.
Trojan Records: a British record label founded by Jamaican Duke Reid in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid’s sound system in Jamaica. The truck had “Duke Reid – The Trojan King of Sounds” painted on the sides, and the music played by Reid became known as the Trojan Sound.
Trojan Skinheads: individuals who identify with the original British skinhead subculture of the middle 1960s, when ska, rocksteady, reggae, and soul music were popular, and there was a heavy emphasis on mod-influenced clothing styles. Named after the record label Trojan Records, these skinheads identify with the subculture’s Jamaican rude boy and British working class roots.
Two-Tone (music genre): a genre of British popular music of the late 1970s and early 1980s that fused traditional Jamaican ska music with elements of punk rock and new wave music.
U
Umbrella: Suedehead accessory, often with sharpened tip for agressive purposes.
Union Shirt: collarless shirt, also called a granddad shirt. Harks back to the days when collars were detachable and weren’t worn for hard manual work.
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W
Windcheater: lightweight smock, rather like a kagoule. Originally very popular, but rarely seen these days. Meant to be shower proof and warm, but the rain and wind went straight through them.
White laces: Bootlace color identifying a skinhead as being white power or a white supremacist.
Wrangler: another popular make of jeans and jackets. Northern Skins and that.
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Y
Yellow laces: Bootlace color identifying a skinhead as being anti-racist.
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